Change-key switch for music-reproducing machines



B. E. MILLS 1,786,441 CHANGE KEY SWITCH FOR MUSIC REPRODUCING MACHINESFiled Sept. 16. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l M2M@ '5 M j MW@ Dfec.v 30, 1930.B. E. MILLS 1,786,441

CHANGE KEY SWITCH FOR MUSIC REPRODUCING MACHINES Filed Sept. 16, 1927 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Egg- Dec.v so, 1930.

B. E. MxLLs I CHANGE KEY SWITCH FOR MUSIC REPRODUCING MACHINES FiledSept. 16. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z7 ffy-f RUTOVIBTIC. PEFOH MUSICHL. TINGMHCMINE INSTRUMENT f ,y f4 M/ANUA'LLY ,ZZ PLnynsLE INSTRUMENT MHSTERROL-L COJ'UTROI- J2\// 'J4 .f4 J3 27 o 2 #nu z/ 42 fr] 4/ if ferent keyfrom' that Patented Dec. 30, 193|() UNITEv4 STATES PATENT OFFICE BERTIi'. MILLS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

AssIeNoR To MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, or CORPORATION or ILLINOIS CHANGE-KEYSWITCH FOR Iv/IUSTLC-REPRODUCING MACHINES Y Application filed September16, 1927.

ducing music rolls from a master roll through the use of amachineoperated by a series of electric circuits controlled by feeding themaster roll between suitably related contact elements. C. Y

The principal obj ect of the invention is to provide, in apparatus ofthis character, a switch mechanism whereby the electric circuits may bebroken and reassociated in such manner as to cause the reproducingmachine to prepare the copy rolls for playing in a diffor which themaster roll is prepared, the switch being preferably constructed andcontrollable so that the copy rolls may be produced for any selected keyof the scale. l

It is also contemplated that the switch provided by the invention may beused for selectively changing the key in which an instrument may beplayed from a single roll.

A further Obj ect is the provision of apparatus of this character inwhich note perforations may be made in the copy sheets inaddition tothose reproduced from the master roll ifthe operator finds thisnecessary or desirable.

Other objects and advantages of the inv vention will be apparent as itis better understood from the following description, which, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure l is a plan view of a switch mechanism in which my invention'isembodied;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partially broken away and showing theparts in different relation from that shown'in Fig. 1;

Fig. l is a sectional view, taken substantially on the section line L-4L in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view Showing the relation of the switch to thecircuits leading to the master roll control, the printing or perforatingmachine, the reproducing instrument and the control instrument.

Upon said drawings l have shown, for ilseriai No. 219,870.

lustrative purposes only, an apparatus in ,which my invention isembodied and in eX- planation thereof, attention is called first to Fig.5.

From'uthis figure, it will be observed that the switch, which I haveindicated by the reference character 2l, is connected by aV trunk 22with an apparatus controlled by means of a master roll, said apparatusbeing identified by the reference character 23. The, switch is alsoconnected by a trunk 24; with a printing or perforating machine 25,which machine maybe constructed substantially as shown in Sandell PatentNo. 1,423,738. The construction of the apparatus controlled by themaster roll for operating the perforating machine is also known ,in theart and may be any suitable perforated roll player mechanism. Theswitch-21 also is,`or may be, connected by a trunk 26 with an automaticmusical instrument 27 and by a trunk 30 with a manually playableinstrument and it will be understood that the trunks 22, 24, 26 and 30each carry a large number of electrical connections, whereby circuitscompleted through perforations in the master roll may be caused tooperate devicesin the printing or perforating machine and/Or to play theinstrument 27 by means of known electrically controlled devices. If itis desired to insert notes or tones in the copy rolls in addition tothose inthe master roll, this may be done by a musician playing thepiano or other instrument 30 which may be connected in known manner forenergizing additional perforating magnets.

The connections'carried by the trunk 22 are indicated by the referencecharacter 28 and lead to a series of conducting plates 29 arranged upona longitudinally adjustable bar 3l of the switch mechanism, which'7 asshown, is disposed in a housing 32. Each plate 29 has pivotally securedthereto a contact finger 33, adapted to engage one of a series ofcontact plates 34 on a bar 35, mounted adjacent the bar 31 and movabletoward and from the latter by means which will be presently described.Said bar is transversely slotted, as indicated at 35', and movablysecured to the housing by means of studs 302L and washers 30h. Theplates 34 are connected by electrical connections 36 with the trunks 24and 26 leading respectively to the perforating machine and to theinstrument 27, the manually playable or control instrument beingconnected into the saine circuits.

It will be seen that when the contact fingers 33 are in engagement withthe contact plates 34, the circuits to the printingmachine and /orreproducing instrument are completed,` so that the latter will beoperated by feeding of the master roll between the contact. elements ofthe control apparatus. For the purpose of opening and closing theswitch, I provide a hand lever 37, pivoted at 38 to the housing 32 andbeing connected by a bar 39 with two angular arms 4l, pivoted at 42 tothe under side of the bar 35. Said arms 4l areconnected bylinks 43 withthe bar 3l, so that when the right, viewing Figs. l and 2, the bar willbe moved away from the bar 31 and the contact elements 33 and 34separated. This, of course,breaks the circuits and if it is desired toreassociate the latter, so that the perforating machine will for playingin a different key, or so that the instrument 27 will play ina dilferentkey, the bar 3l may be shifted endwise by manipulation of a lever 44,disposed horizontally and pivoted at 45 to the interior of the housing32, said lever being connected by a link 46 with one end of the bar 3lSaid bar 3l is provided with slots 47, in which studs 48, extending upfrom the housing 32 and carrying washers `48 are disposed, and one endof said bar is provided with a toothed segment 49, adapted to cooperatewith a projection 51 on the bar 35 to hold said bars in desired relationwhen the contacts are made. The bar 3l is preferably graduated, asindicated at 52, to indicate twelve diiferent positions corresponding tothe twelve keys of the scale, so as to facilitate the adjustment of thef switch according to the key in which it is desired thatthe music shallbe produced. A pointer 53 may be provided in the housing adjacent thegraduations 52 on said bar 3l and the normal relationship of the barsmay be indicated by a suitable designation, such its the letter i on thegraduated part of the var.

Inasinuch as the contacts 34 are respectively connected with particularperforating or playing magnets (not shown) of the perforating machine 25or instrument 27, it will be apparent that different magnets may beenergized according to the adjustment of the switch and it is thuspossible to selectively control the operation of said machine and/orinstrument.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may from the spirit or scope of the lever37 is moved toward the reduce co rolls are Jared P Py l l be made in theform, construction and arrangement of the parts without departinginvention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

-l. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of amaster roll operated electric controller-,a perfor-ating machineelectrically operated by said cont-roller andfadapted to reproduce theroll, and a switch in the electrical connections between tl e controllerand the perforating machine wherebyv the latter may be caused toreproduce rolls adapted for playing in a different key than that forwhich the master roll is prepared.

2. In apparatus for making duplicate music sheets, the combination ofafmaster roll operated electric controller, a reproducing machineelectrically operated by said controller, and a switch in the electricalconnections between the controller and the reproducing machine wherebythe latter may be caused to reproduce rolls adapted for playing in adifferent key than that for which the master roll is prepared.

3. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of amaster roll operated electric controller, a perforating machineelectrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce theroll, and a switch in the electrical connections between the controllerand the perfor-ating machine whereby the latter may be caused toreproduce rolls perforated for any selected one of a plurality ofdifferent keys.

4; In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of amaster roll operated electric controller, a perforating machineelectrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce theroll, and a switch in the electrical connections between the controllerand the perforating machine whereby the latter may be caused toreproduce rolls perforated for any one of the twelve keys of the scale.

5. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of .amaster roll operated electric controller, a perfor-ating machineelectrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce theroll, a switch in theelectrical connections between the controller andthe perforating machine whereby the latter may be caused to reproducerolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which themaster roll is prepared, and an instrument playable from the master rollbut in the key of thc reproduced rolls.

' 6. In apparatus for making music rolls for automatic instruments, thecombination of a master roll operated electric controller, a reproducingmachine, a series of electric con- A and a switch .nections leading fromsaid controller to the reproducing machine to operate the latter, forbreaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereofto cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playingina dierent key than that for which the master roll is prepared.

7. In apparatus for making music rolls for automatic instruments, thecombination of a master roll operated electric controller, a reproducingmachine, a series of electric connections leading from said controllerto the reproducing machine to operate the latter, and a switch forbreaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereofto cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playing ina different key than that for which the master roll is prepared, saidswitch comprising relatively movable contact elements and means 'foroperating the same to break `and reassociate the contacts.

8. In apparatus for making music rolls Jfor automatic instruments, thecombination of a master roll operated electriccontroller, a reproducingmachine, a series of electric connections leading from said controllerto the reproducing machine to operate the latter, and a switch forbreaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereernto cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playing ina different key than that for which the master` roll is prepared, saidswitch comprising relatively movable contact elements and means foroperating the same to break and reassociate the contacts for the entireseries of connections simultaneously.

9. In apparatus for making music rolls for automatic instruments, thecombination of a master roll operated electric controller, a reproducingmachine, a series o'i electric connections leading from said controllerto the reproducing machine to operate the latter, and a switch forbreaking said connections and reassociating the separable parts thereofto cause the reproducing machine to produce rolls adapted for playing ina different key than that Jfor which the master roll is prepared, saidswitch comprising relatively movable contact elements and means foroperating the same to break and reassociate the contacts for the entireseries of connections simultaneously, said operating means comprisingseparate manipulative d e vic e s adapted respectively for separatingthe contact elements and for shifting them relatively so that whenbrought together again the contacts are associated in dill'erent order.

10. A switch for music roll reproducing apparatus, comprising a contactelementhaving a plurality of contacts thereon, connections rom saidcontacts adapted to include the same in circuits controlled by a masterroll, a second contact element having corresponding contacts thereon,connections from said last-mentioned contact to a reproducing machine,and meansfor separating said con-l tact elements and shifting themrelatively to reassociate the contacts thereby varying the operation `ofthe reproducing machine to cause it to produce rolls adapted Jforplaying ina different key than that for which the master roll isprepared.

11. A switch for music roll reproducing apparatus, comprising a contactelement having a plurality of contacts thereon, connections from saidcontacts adapted to include the same in circuits controlled by a masterroll, a second contact element having corresponding contacts thereon,connections from said last-mentioned contact to a reproducing machine,and means for separating said contact elements and shifting themrelatively to reassociate the contacts thereby varying the operation ofthe reproducing machine to cause it to produce rolls adapted :torplaying in a different key than that for which the master roll isprepared, said contact elements being arrangeable in any selected one ofa variety of dilferent relationships to thereby determine the rkey forwhich the copy rolls are to be prepared.

12. A switch for music roll reproducing` apparatus, comprising a contactelement having a plurality of contacts thereon, connec-v tions rom saidcontacts adapted to include the samein circuits controlled by a masterroll, a second contact element having corresponding contacts thereon,connections from said last-mentioned contact to a reproducing machine,means for separating said contact elements and shifting them relativelyto reassociate the contacts thereby varying the operation of thereproducing machine to cause it to produce rolls adapted for playing ina dilerent key than that for which the master roll is prepared, andmeans for holding said Contact elements in selected relationship whenthe contacts are'in engagement.

13. In apparatus for making perforated music rolls, the combination of amaster roll operated electric controller, a perforating machineelectrically operated by said controller and adapted to reproduce theroll, a switch inthe electrical connections between the controller andthe perforating machine whereby the latter may be caused to reproducerolls adapted for playing in a different key than that for which themaster roll is prepared, and a manually playable instrument connectedinto the pertorating machine circuits whereby additional notes may beplayed into the copy rolls.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

' BERT E. MILLS.

